Batman: Gates of Gotham #5

The five-issue Batman: Gates of Gotham miniseries reaches its conclusion here, promising that the secret history of Gotham City will finally be revealed. Trevor McCarthy's cover presents a commanding Batman standing with cape spread wide against a blood-red sky, the city's gothic skyline looming behind him and an ominous skull-like structure lurking in the distance. With Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins, and Trevor McCarthy bringing the story home, this 2011 finale feels like a genuinely satisfying payoff to the mystery threading through the entire series.